From The Spectator 8 July 1995

"Did you have much experience of Japanese cruelty?" I asked

"Yes, yes, we did," General Horsford answered quietly. "It was something we'll never forget. It was south of Ukhrul . . . . . . . . . We came across a lot of Ghurka parachutists who had been tied to trees and cut in half, straight down, from top to bottom."

From Sister Vivian Bullwinkle, repatriated to Australia in April 1945

"When the Japanese arrived at the beach they separated the men from the nurses. The men were taken up the beach and bayoneted; the 22 nurses were ordered to walk into the sea and machine-gunned when we had gone a few yards."

(Sister Bullwinkle, with a single bullet hole above the hip, and one Englishman, bayoneted carelessly, were the only survivors.)

From Flight Sergeant David Russell, RAF, prisoner at Jogjakarta

"Eventually these poor creatures were led out, hands tied behind their backs, bleeding profusely from cuts and bruises all over them, staggering as the Japanese prodded them. One was placed opposite each grave. . . . . . . . .

"While all this was going on, the Japanese officer lit a cigarette in a tortoiseshell holder . . . . . . . . and stood beside the three victims, really enjoying the scene. Then he signalled and three young Japanese left the ranks. One stood opposite each prisoner with a fixed bayonet. The officer looked to see if we were all watching, threw away his cigarette, took out another and put it in his holder. The three Dutch guys refused to be bandaged. The Japs thumped them with their rifle butts and they had to submit to the bandage. They were standing each in front of his own grave.

"The Japanese officer made his men practise bayonet drill -- forward, retreat, forward, retreat, forward and then a lunge. Eventually they lunged for the stomach and the three men fell on the ground kicking. They kept thrusting at them and threw the men still kicking into the graves. By then my mouth was just dry."

(The three Dutchmen were civilians who had climbed out of the camp at night to visit their wives, who at that time were not yet imprisoned, and had been caught climbing back in.)

To return to first page, click here . . . . .